When Worlds Collide
by LovelyLoreley
Summary: After the final battle of Hogwarts, Seamus and Lavender decide to take a holiday to the US. While in New York, they accidentally run into a pack of werewolves - but these wolves are different from Fenrir Greyback, and much more like their old teacher Lupin. The pack leader Luke Garroway has offered Lavender a place in the pack. Will she accept? And where will that leave Seamus?


Lavender stopped suddenly in the middle of the street, slowly sniffing the air. There was a strange scent here, very powerful, one she had not smelled since she had gotten rid of those clothes from the night that Greyback had attack her at Hogwarts. Seamus had been walking behind her, and accidently bumped into her as she froze.

"What is it?" He asked her anxiously. "You're all tense, Lav."

"Do you smell that?" she asked him, her eyes capturing his with a wild stare.

Seamus looked around at the little shops on this Chinatown street and shrugged. "Chinese food? Are you hungry? We could go in there," he suggested, pointing at a little restaurant.

Lavender shook her head vehemently but stepped toward the building anyway, still sniffing. "Not Chinese food…" she muttered. "It smells like people…and animals. Sort of like Greyback smelled when he bit me." She trailed off thoughtfully.

Seamus's head instantly snapped up, his eyes wary. "Werewolves?" he asked her, although he knew that was the only thing she would be talking about.

"Yes," she stepped up to the restaurant and attempted to peer in the windows. "It smells like its coming from here, but the place looks closed. It's empty." She looked back at Seamus, confused.

Looking around and seeing that they were alone on the street, Seamus pulled out his wand. Pointing it at the building behind Lavender, he muttered, "_Homenum revelio_." A gust of air blew past Lavender and hit the building, and Lavender stepped back toward Seamus with a squeal of surprise.

Where a moment before they had seen a little Chinese restaurant, now they stood before an abandoned-looking police station. They could also hear many voices inside the building where all before was silence. Seamus stared down at his wand, perplexed. "That isn't what the spell normally does…"

They stood together before the building, wondering if they should knock on the door, when suddenly a girl shouted from behind them. "Hey! What are you two doing?"

A girl, probably a year or two younger than them, was standing there in astonishment. Then she walked forward and deliberately sniffed first Lavender and then Seamus. "What the hell are you two?" she demanded. "You aren't mundanes if you can see our place, but you don't smell like anything I've encountered. Unless _you_," she pointed a finger at Seamus, "have been playing with warlocks. Have you? You smell pretty mundanes except for a faint hint of magic. As for you, girl, you almost smell like one of us – but you are not." She crossed her arms and waited for a response.

Lavender was staring at the girl in astonishment, but Seamus couldn't help but laugh. "Warlocks? I have no idea what you mean by that. And what do you mean that Lav smells_ almost_ like one of you?"

Lavender tugged on his arm, and he looked down at her. "Seamus," she murmured, "this girl…she's a _werewolf_!" What happened next happened so quickly that even Seamus wasn't sure what he had done. All he knew was that in the next moment he was standing between Lavender and the strange girl with his wand pointed at the latter's heart. Recognizing the thin stick as a weapon, the girl put her hands up in a placating manner.

"Hey, man, chill, I'm not going to hurt you. The chick's right, I am a werewolf. And she smells almost like one, too, except…more human. I'm Maia by the way."

Lavender reached around Seamus to push down his wand arm and smiled at the girl. "I'm Lavender and this is Seamus," she said, giving Seamus a meaningful look. He returned his wand to his jeans. Lavender continued, "And I think I smell almost like one of you because – well, I was attacked by a werewolf. A few months ago. Except he was human when he attacked me, so I wasn't fully changed."

Maia looked at her with wide eyes. "Really? That sounds crazy! Maybe you should meet my pack leader, Luke. He's inside right now, and I think he'd enjoy meeting someone as…unusual as you."

Lavender followed the girl into the police station and Seamus reluctantly brought up the rear. Inside, they found that the seemingly abandoned building was actually packed with people, most of who glared suspiciously as they passed. Maia ignored them, walking swiftly to a room at the back. She knocked on the door and they waited.

The door was opened by a tired-looking man with shaggy brown hair. Seamus guessed that he was in his early or mid-thirties, although there was a certain air about him that made Seamus suspect that the man did not age naturally. Maia beckoned for Seamus and Lavender to follow her into the room. As they passed through the door and sat down, Seamus couldn't help but notice that Maia and the man were staring at each other intently, for all appearances wrapped in silent communication.

The man confirmed this suspicion when he turned to greet his visitors. "Hello. My name is Luke Garroway, and I lead this pack of mangy mutts." Maia growled in a friendly manner, although it did make Lavender jump. "Maia here says you have an interesting story? Both of you warlocks and the girl part wolf as well? I must say you look more normal than most Downworlders that I know, and you do not smell quite like I would expect."

Lavender was looking at Seamus to speak, and he cleared his throat nervously. "My name's Seamus and this is Lavender. We really don't know what you mean by 'warlocks' and 'Downworlders.'" He hesitated before continuing. "I'm a wizard, and she's a witch. I don't think I should really be telling you that, but clearly you guys aren't muggles, so I suppose I won't get into too much trouble."

Luke's eyes lit with understanding, but Maia continued to look confused. "Ah, I see. I have heard of witches and wizards of course, but have never actually met one. I suppose then, that I was wrong to assume you were Downworlders, for the stories say that the magic of witches and wizards comes from this earth, not any other dimension."

"But what _are_ Downworlders?" Lavender asked.

Maia responded this time. "Downworlders are people who have magic from the Downworld in their bodies. Demon magic. Vampires, werewolves, fairies, warlocks…we are all Downworlders. Fairies and warlocks are direct offspring of demons, while vampires and werewolves are people infected with demonic diseases." Here explanation sounded exactly like something Hermione would have recited from a textbook, Seamus realized fondly with a smile.

"So the werewolf infection," Lavender said slowly, "if that's a disease, is that why I am somewhat lie a werewolf but not fully one of you?"

Both Luke and Maia hesitated. "This isn't something I have ever seen before," Luke replied cautiously. "I know no werewolf in this area that would attack a human, much less one that would attack a human while in a human form itself…"

"Be thankful that you've never met one, then," Seamus said darkly, putting his hand protectively over Lavender's arm. "Greyback was one hell of a bloody bastard. Lav isn't the only person he attacked when he wasn't a wolf."

"This is troubling news indeed. But why did you come here? Maia says she found you staring at our building as if unsure whether or not you should enter."

Lavender laughed, a nervous sound. "Well, we _were_ trying to decide whether or not to come in here. I could smell you guys, but…well, given our past experiences with werewolves-"

"You probably weren't too keen on walking unprotected into our den," Luke finished, laughing now too. "However, Lavender, you should know that as one who is at least part wolf you are welcome into our living quarters as often as you like. We never turn away one of our own. In fact, if you plan on staying in the area, you might consider calling yourself one of us. Becoming a part of my pack, I mean."

"That…might be nice," Lavender hedged, glancing uncertainly at Seamus. It was clear she wanted his permission, and he cursed angrily at Greyback as he so often did these days. Gone was the impetuous girl who defended Trelawney's strange behavior; gone was the girl who fought so bravely at the final battle. In her place was a meek shadow of that girl, unwilling to venture out of the realm of what she knew was safe. But she was his Lavender, no matter how different she now acted.

"I think we would benefit a lot from staying here," Seamus finally agreed, casually, knowing that Maia and Luke could probably help Lav feel like she belonged somewhere. "It is clear that we all have a lot to learn from each other."

Luke grinned, offering his hand first to Seamus and then to Lavender. "Welcome to the pack, my dear!"


End file.
